Race Reviews: Ironman 70.3 Lahti

oliverbridge7
May 8
4 min read

Updated: Nov 5

Ironman Lahti 70.3 course review - what is it like?

General

Ironman Lahti 70.3 is a fast and breath of fresh air in a course in the Finnish wilderness.

T1 + T2 are in different locations but the same town and walkable between.
Swim is in the harbour of a beautiful lake, diving off from a restaurant’s dock
Bike is undulating but no hard climbs mean you can really carry speed throughout
Run is a slowly up, steep down, flat - repeat

Climate

The climate is fresh, even in Summer it is going to be fresh in the morning and if it’s raining then it can be cold as at the World Championships in 2023.

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Race Course Reviews: Ironman Rapperswil 70.3

What is the Ironman Lahti 70.3 SWIM course like?

Water in the area is beautiful, it just FEELS fresh and like you're at one with nature. It isn't very clear, it's quite dark but it feels good. The swim is in the local port/harbour as you jump off a pontoon attached to a local restaurant. This allows for great crowds and atmosphere when you start as your family and friends can watch you at the start, during and at the exit without too much moving around.

You can see in the distance where you are swimming to, it's probably about 1000m straight line distance but you are going to go straight and then take a bit of a detour left to then a long straight and then right at a buoy to go straight to the swim exit.

There is no dangerous wildlife to be worried about at all.

The temperature is likely to be in the mid teens.

The swim exit is easy with a couple of immediate steps and then you’re flat.

It’s a short transition zone in a car park

The ground underfoot is tarmac.

What is the Ironman Lahti 70.3 BIKE course like?

The bike is a 1 lap course that takes you from the town, into the Finnish wilderness and back where you might not see anyone on the side of the road for a long time, except for a couple of aid stations..

It’s a fun course because although total elevation isn’t nothing, the quality of the roads is very good and the climbs are not significant that you really feel like you can carry speed the whole way around. There are very few technical sections, there are a couple of narrower roads like where Lionel Sanders got his penalty for going over an imaginary centreline in 2023.

The bike starts on a slight ascent to get out of town that gives you a good time to get nutrition in and sort yourself out without thinking I need to go fast right now.

The final part of the bike is very fast, very straight and can rocket you back into town. There is one challenge that is just a few 100m long but quite steep JUST before the transition zone to remember that. Particularly think about this in terms of when is best for me to start unclipping my shoes if you use them, doing my last gel or water or really winding down my effort before the run.

This is a longer transition as far as they go within a building, the surface is therefore a stone floor.

What is the Ironman Lahti 70.3 RUN course like?

The run course is a 2 lap course with a real highlight that you get to run through and around an athletics track where you have a world famous ski jump as a backdrop. The run starts on the side of the road on pavements as you take a climb out of town via the athletics track which is very soon after T2. Do not get too excited but the track does give you a moment of encouragement to realise you are ‘in a race’ as you see athletes around you. Running up and long the pavements by the side of the main roads for the first few kms is your best opportunity for getting into a steady rhythm. The gradient doesn’t alter too much. As you reach a natural summit on the pavement parallel to the highway you go flat for a short section before turning right and hitting some steep descents. These are really quite steep and worth practicing some because taking these nice and relaxed is key to not smashing your quads up so much that you struggle for the rest of the race, particularly on lap 1. If you do take these relaxed then you’ll find yourself go ahead of the average pace you expected to run at. The first of the descents is on the pavement and not road so also doesn’t feel free as you’re shoulder to shoulder with others. The course then goes off between lovely suburb houses and you have the whole road so feels freer. It continues to snake up and down but mainly down so it’s a nice fast set of kms as you go back towards the lake.

You then hit the lakeside path, still tarmac, and it’s a nice moment to be totally flat and iit’s lap 2 you can start to feel the elation that you’re almost done.

Before the finish you do run around a small bit of green space and pond. The surface changes for the first time to gravel path so if it’s wet you need to be slightly sure of your footing. This can be a little bit sapping so save a tiny bit of energy for it as the surface continues this way as you hit a straight that takes you back into the start/finish. This is a real straight line and is ever so slightly uphill so if you're feeling good then put down the hammer and just hold because you could gain places over this last hit before finishing.

Lahti is quite challenging logistically to get there but a really fantastic race, setting of a sport heavy town and a course that is one with nature.